IgE ‐Binding Components in Fungi and Parasites: From Infection Severity to Allergy and Allergy Protection: An EAACI Position Paper

Human exposure to fungi and parasites (helminths, protozoa and ticks) can lead to the development and/or exacerbation of allergic/atopic diseases due to the production of IgE antibodies to components from these organisms. However, some of these IgE-binding components are not currently listed in the official Allergen Nomenclature Database of the World Health Organization/International Union of Immunological Societies (WHO/IUIS) Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. The aim of the Task Force (TF) BACALL (including members from this Sub-Committee and four additional groups/committees) was to identify in the literature (PubMed up to October 2025) potential allergens from fungi and parasites and their reported clinical relevance, for possible future inclusion in the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Database according to Sub-Committee criteria. Forty-nine IgE-binding proteins from fungi and parasites were identified as potential allergen candidates. The IgE-binding oligosaccharide α-Gal was excluded because it is not proteinic, although it is associated with allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Exposure to helminths outside the context of infection, such as ingestion of Anisakis-infected fish or vaccination against hookworms, can also elicit allergic reactions. The TF recommends that non-conventional routes of exposure be considered in the identification of new allergens, and that future studies assess the clinical relevance of new allergens identified by the TF in larger populations.

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Publication Details

Journal
Allergy
Published
2026-10-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1111/all.70543
Primary Topic
Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

IgE ‐Binding Components in Fungi and Parasites: From Infection Severity to Allergy and Allergy Protection: An EAACI Position Paper

Peter Schmid‐Grendelmeier, Vera Mahler, Christiane Hilger, Marua Abu Risha et al.
1 links
Allergy
Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization
article

IgE ‐Binding Components in Fungi and Parasites: From Infection Severity to Allergy and Allergy Protection: An EAACI Position Paper

Peter Schmid‐Grendelmeier, Vera Mahler, Christiane Hilger, Marua Abu Risha, Joana Vitte, Markus W. Ollert, Josefina Zakzuk, Ioana Octavia Agache, Gabriele Gadermaier, Richard E. Goodman, Ludger Klimek, Frieder Schmiedeke, Monika Raulf, Riccardo Castagnoli, Uta Jappe, Claus Bachert, Alain Jacquet, Amir Guemari, Marianne van Hage, Anna Pomés, Thomas A.E. Platts‐Mills, Annette Kuehn, Barbara M. Bröker, Jonas Lidholm, Sabine Kespohl
article en

Abstract

Human exposure to fungi and parasites (helminths, protozoa and ticks) can lead to the development and/or exacerbation of allergic/atopic diseases due to the production of IgE antibodies to components from these organisms. However, some of these IgE-binding components are not currently listed in the official Allergen Nomenclature Database of the World Health Organization/International Union of Immunological Societies (WHO/IUIS) Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. The aim of the Task Force (TF) BACALL (including members from this Sub-Committee and four additional groups/committees) was to identify in the literature (PubMed up to October 2025) potential allergens from fungi and parasites and their reported clinical relevance, for possible future inclusion in the WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Database according to Sub-Committee criteria. Forty-nine IgE-binding proteins from fungi and parasites were identified as potential allergen candidates. The IgE-binding oligosaccharide α-Gal was excluded because it is not proteinic, although it is associated with allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Exposure to helminths outside the context of infection, such as ingestion of Anisakis-infected fish or vaccination against hookworms, can also elicit allergic reactions. The TF recommends that non-conventional routes of exposure be considered in the identification of new allergens, and that future studies assess the clinical relevance of new allergens identified by the TF in larger populations.

Allergy
University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US), Karolinska University Hospital (SE), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (BE), Universidad de Cartagena (CO), Inserm (FR), Chulalongkorn University (TH), University of Southern Denmark (DK), University of Salzburg (AT), University of Pavia (IT), Universitätsmedizin Greifswald (DE), Ghent University Hospital (BE), Odense University Hospital (DK), Karolinska Institutet (SE), Transylvania University of Brașov (RO), Thermo Fisher Scientific (Sweden) (SE), University Hospital of Zurich (CH), Luxembourg Institute of Health (LU), Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Reims (FR), CK-CARE (CH), Zentrum für Rhinologie und Allergologie (DE), Institute for Prevention and Occupational Medicine (DE), Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel (BE), Research Center Borstel - Leibniz Lung Center (DE), The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University (CN), German Center for Lung Research (DE), Policlinico San Matteo Fondazione (IT), Pathologies Pulmonaires et Plasticité Cellulaire (FR), University of Virginia (US), Paul Ehrlich Institut (DE), University of Lübeck (DE), Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne (FR)
European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 14%
Allergic Rhinitis and Sensitization
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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